Skateboarding is a Great Recovery Pathway
The Physical Benefits to Skateboarding
Skateboarding can be a fun alternative to hitting the gym.
The first (and most obvious) physical benefit to skating is balance and a strong core. Having a strong core (abs, obliques, lower back, etc) is an essential factor to skating well.
After you learn good balance, it’s time to learn ollies, kickflips, and the like. Tricks like these involve high impact on joints and need strength training just like benching at the gym. Developing good connective tissue in your joints is another important aspect of skateboarding.
The Mental Benefits to Skateboarding
There are a whole bunch of mental benefits to skating, too.
It boosts the blood flow to your brain, increasing creativity, decision-making, and memory. Skateboarding also releases endorphins in your brain, leading to reduced stress, anxiety, and preventing depression symptoms. Skating is great for anxiety because it forces you to face your fears head on and gain control of your thoughts. This is perfect for people who ruminate on negative thoughts. You’re forced to think about solutions rather than the problem.
Contrary to popular belief, skaters aren’t daredevils. They take calculated risks. They didn’t just jump fifteen stairs on a whim. They worked up to that trick. Skating helps you overcome your fear of failure and getting hurt when you fail. It teaches resilience. Skating is 99% falling flat on our butt and 1% looking cool. This translates well into daily life. You learn the ability to bounce back after experiencing difficulty. Skateboarding fuels creativity, both through finding creative solutions to the problems you face and through self- expression. In some ways, it’s more of an artform than a sport. It helps you disconnect from stress, express your inner thoughts, and even meditate.
The Emotional Benefits to Skateboarding
Skateboarding offers a sense of progression, boosting your self-esteem.
Skating isn’t about being better than everyone around you. It’s about becoming a better you. It also teaches you to have patience with yourself. This is a crucial perspective to have in recovery. Landing a new trick can take just a few tries or can be a month-long battle. If you lose your temper and let your emotions overcome you, it’ll take longer to succeed. By staying calm, you’re more able to be analytical and determine what’s going wrong. Anger and disappointment will slow you down on your journey. Patience and acceptance are key.
Skating also has the powerful ability to ground you in the present. This makes it an excellent activity for practicing mindfulness. We live in a society that’s constantly looking at screens and being bombarded with information. Get outside and spend time focusing on building a better you, not consuming all you can. Focus your mind on the board, the pavement, where your hands and feet should be. Throw some headphones in your ears and play out your thoughts, feelings, and emotions in the ride and tricks.
The Social Benefits to Skateboarding
You can build an amazing community through skateboarding.
This is another crucial factor to growing in your recovery journey. You can bond over your mutual interest in skating and even develop mentor relationships with each other. Even as an older skater, you can develop a sense of community with a younger crowd than you normally would. You can be the voice of encouragement and wisdom to young kids that might be heading on the same path that you were on. This can provide a deep sense of encouragement to yourself as well. You feel like you’re vicariously changing your own past.
No matter your level of skill, skate culture is all about getting better. Once you land a trick, everyone will be ready to cheer and high-five. This part of skateboard culture transfers from generation to generation if you let it. You get to be the cool dad or mom. What’s cooler than having a dad that still knows how to skateboard? Teaching your kids how to skate is a great way of bonding with your kids. By sharing the love of skateboarding with your kids, you will improve the relationship with them. Imagine riding down the street with your oldest son or daughter and watching all the smiles of the people driving by.